Well, its finally here. As the summer draws to a close, college football fans are ready for for the 2008 season to get underway, and I ask, can it get any better than this? Enough talk radio, enough ESPN college football previews, enough pre-season magazines, from Phil Steele to Lindy's to Athlon, it is time to kick it off, and it can't get here soon enough! Here's a look at five of the opening weekend's most intriguing contests.
1. No. 20 Illinois v. No. 6 Missouri—(Saint Louis) This top 25 match up is headlined by two extremely talented signal callers in Heisman hopeful Chase Daniel and All-Big Ten candidate Juice Williams.
Missouri returns 14 total starters, including sophomore sensation wideout Jeremy Maclin, who will once again be a favorite target of Daniel. The loss of Rashard Mendenhall will prove to be huge for Ron Zook's offensive squad.
Sophomore Arrelious Benn will need to emerge as a consistent playmaker for the Fighting Illini if they plan to duplicate their nine-win season and Rose Bowl appearance from a year ago.
Illinois lost key talent on the defensive side of the football, which, in turn, will bode well for a versatile Missouri offense that allowed Daniel to tally 37 total touchdowns and more than 4,500 total yards in 2007.
The leadership, experience and play-making ability of Daniel will prove to be the difference in this early season battle. PREDICTION: Missouri 34 Illinois 20.
2. No. 24 Alabama v. No. 9 Clemson—(Atlanta) This SEC/ACC clash pits two of the most tradition-rich programs in the South. Tommy Bowden's Tigers are predicted by most to be the clear front runner in the ACC, and predicted by many to be a dark horse candidate to play in the BCS title game.
The Tigers' offensive unit has the potential to be explosive, anchored by Cullen Harper at quarterback and star running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The Crimson Tide will be led on offense by senior quarterback John Parker Wilson and talented sophomore running back Terry Grant.
The key to this game will be how Nick Saban's young, inexperienced defense handles the one-two punch of Davis and Spiller on the ground and Harper's playmaking ability through the air. In the end, Bama's defense will not have enough answers. PREDICTION: Clemson 31 Alabama 23.
3. No. 18 Tennessee v. UCLA—UCLA has been decimated offensively by numerous pre-season injuries. Quarterbacks Patrick Cowan and Ben Olson are out, leaving junior college transfer Kevin Craft under center.
New head coach Rick Neuheisal and successful offensive coordinator Norm Chow may have to wait a year before truly being able to put the type of offense on the field that they want; thus, the Bruins will be dependent upon a solid defensive unit led by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker.
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